by Marie Borrazzo

Created on: December 18, 2008

School systems handle many conflicts which are rooted in family interaction or what should really be addressed as lack of proper familial interaction. Student issues are thrown into the system as parents continue to engage in lazy parenting. Of course, the few parents reading this article being the ones I am not referring to are now having a fit wondering how someone can make such a claim. The latter comment is meant towards parents who are MIA - busy at work, or busy at the Country club.

Proper parenting, and teaching is a pro-active process, not a reactive process. Having worked in education for fourteen years my observations clearly show that taking responsibility for one's life, future, family seems to be on the back burner for too large a portion of the American population. Finger pointing is all too common and easy and thus when an issue pops up that calls attention, parents react passively toward the issues and in return become aggressive toward the school system, including teachers and administrators. What ever happened to the concept of viewing a parent as a life-teacher?

If one truly takes the time to analyze this social phenomenon from a macro-perspective then all of the players roles seem clearer as does the solution. Looking at the text, The Impact of Teacher Conflict Style on Student Discipline Outcomes focuses on the interaction between teachers and students from the perspective that the teachers' conflict style selection during the discipline process affects the outcome.

Research was centered on "at risk" students enrolled in an Academy that was designed to specifically meet "at risk" student needs. Teacher response styles during the discipline process were the center of the research given that "at risk" students are suspended more frequently than students typically falling into the "regular" student population.
Teachers' conflict styles were assessed using the Kilmann conflict assessment. The five conflict styles included: Accommodating, Avoiding, Controlling, Collaborative, and Compromising.

Another key focus was the affect of systemic issues that influence teacher-student interaction that result from cultural influences and social complexities present in capitalist economic system. Social complexity has resulted in the compartmentalization of individual action affecting interaction. Teachers and faculty with assigned duties are expected to follow prescribed discipline procedures as dictated by the school's discipline action plan. These individuals

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